Murder in the Smokies - By Paula Graves Page 0,29

with a local moving company’s logo painted on the sides and a black panel van. A lone man occupied the space, holding a heavy-duty hose with a nozzle attachment at the end. Spray shot from the hose and hit the panel van’s wheels with a loud splatter, the whoosh drowning out all but the faintest sound of the tune he was whistling. Water ran in a stream past Sutton’s feet, rusty with red clay from the van’s tires. He avoided the flow and crossed the garage to the man holding the hose.

He was wiry, hard-muscled but whipcord lean, with short, dark hair that tended to spike on top and sharply defined features that gave him a faintly vulpine appearance. His green eyes swept up to meet Sutton’s gaze, and a slow, cynical smile curved his wide mouth.

He turned off the hose. The garage fell silent for a moment. Then the man spoke in a deceptively soft drawl. “Sutton Calhoun. Never thought I’d see you ’round these parts again.”

“Really, Seth? That’s how you want to play this?”

Seth Hammond’s left eyebrow twitched. “What are you talking about?”

So innocent. If Sutton didn’t know better, he might believe that Seth really was clueless.

But he had proof otherwise. Dipping his hand in the right front pocket of his jeans, he pulled out the green marble and held it up so that it caught a shaft of light pouring into the garage from a window high above the floor.

Seth’s gaze followed the movement of Sutton’s hand. His eyes narrowed before his gaze dropped to meet Sutton’s.

“What’s your game, Seth? Why leave this for me?”

Seth remained silent, pinning Sutton with his unnerving stare.

“Thanks for the marble. I’ve kind of missed it.” Sutton pocketed the marble and started to walk away.

“Wait,” Seth said, his voice tense.

Sutton turned slowly to face the other man, waiting silently.

“April Billings worked here until July. Part-time internship.”

“Doing what?”

“A little of everything, although her main job was helping out the bookkeeping staff.”

“She quit in July?”

“Wanted a month off just to enjoy herself before going back to college in the fall.” Seth’s tone held a hint of sadness. But he was a good actor. Hard to know if his show of emotion was authentic.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I hear you’re looking into her murder. And since two other former Davenport employees have also turned up dead—”

“And look who works here.”

Seth’s expression darkened. “You’re not seriously going there.”

“Even serial killers sometimes start small.”

“Yeah, torturing animals, not pulling cons.”

“A con artist is just a sociopath who kills the soul instead of the body.”

Seth shook his head. “Well, maybe that’s so. And if you’re looking for a serial soul killer, feel free to take me in for questioning.”

“You’re mistaking me for the police.”

“That’s right.” The smile Seth shot Sutton looked more like a smirk. “You’re working for the big chief Cooper down there in Alabama.”

“Did you call your sister so I’d know where to find you?”

Seth smiled. “You’re just full of conspiracy theories today.”

“How did you know to find me at Ivy Hawkins’s place?” Sutton pulled the marble from his pocket again. “I can’t believe you still had this after all those years, Seth. Never took you for the sentimental type.”

“Ivy Hawkins’s place?” Seth looked surprised. Sutton didn’t buy it for a second. “You’re in town a day and you’re already shacking up? And with the police, of all people.”

“Who told you I was back in Bitterwood?”

Seth laughed, giving up the pretense. “A Calhoun can’t come back to Bitterwood without the whole damn county hearing about it, Sutton. You should know that.”

“Why’d you leave this marble for me at Ivy Hawkins’s place?”

Seth didn’t answer.

“It was you outside her house last night. What did you do, follow us from the motel? Or were you out there at Clingmans Dome?”

Seth’s neutral expression slipped a moment, betraying a hint of confusion in his green eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Which part? The motel? Or the mountain?”

“I went looking for you at the motel,” he said finally. “You know, for old times’ sake. Saw you with the little lady cop so I decided to bide my time before making contact.” His drawl broadened. “Don’t know if you know this, Sutton, but I’m not real popular with the police around these parts.”

“You couldn’t wait until morning to get in touch with me?”

Seth’s mouth curved slightly. “I figured you wouldn’t care to see me if it wasn’t your own idea.”

“So you set me up to come looking for you?”

“And it worked.”

Seth